Device for preventing loss of a string in an article of clothing

ABSTRACT

A device for securing a string to an article of clothing, such as a garment or shoe, to prevent the string from being drawn away, for example into a string tunnel or through an eyelet. The device includes a clothing attachment mechanism and a string receiver. The attachment mechanism preferably includes a clip have first and second members movable between opened and closed clip positions for securing the device to the clothing at a selected location. The string receiver receives and holds the string preventing the string from being drawn away. The string receiver preferably defines an aperture for slidingly receiving the string. The device preferably includes a spring to bias the clip to the closed position. In one embodiment, the upper clip member is decoratively configured to resemble a wing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/809,073, filed May 26, 2006, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to garments having stringsreceived in string tunnels of the garment or shoelaces and, moreparticularly to a device for preventing loss of the string within thestring tunnel of the garment or to capture a shoelace.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous garments include strings received in tunnels or otherenclosures formed in the garment. Examples of such garments includesweat pants or shorts having a waist string received in a string tunneldefined at a waist of the garment, and hooded sweatshirts having drawstrings received in a string tunnel defined in the hood. In each of thethese garments, end portions of the string extend outwardly fromopenings formed at the opposites ends of the string tunnel. In each ofthese garments, opposite ends of the string are grasped by a user forapplication of a pulling force to the string to tighten a portion of thegarment (e.g., the waist of a pair of sweat pants) on the user. The endsof the string may then be tied to each other to secure the garment inthe desired condition.

The relative movement between the string and the string tunnel of suchgarments is necessary for the above-described tightening function.However, the need for relative motion between the string and the tunnelcan also have the undesirable effect of one or both of the ends of thestring being drawn completely into the string tunnel. Withdrawal of thestring end into the interior of the string tunnel in this manner rendersthe string unusable or “lost.” The risk that the string of such garmentswill become lost within the string tunnel of the garment is particularlygreat during laundering of the garment because of the agitationassociated with the washing and drying of garments.

What is needed is a device for securing the end of a string to a garmentto limit relative movement between the end of the string and thegarment, thereby eliminating the risk that the end of the string will bedrawn into a string tunnel of the garment. Also what is needed is adevice for capturing and securing loose shoelaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a device for securing a garment string toa garment to limit relative movement between the string and the garment,thereby preventing the string from being drawn into the string tunneland becoming lost in the tunnel rendering the garment string unusablefor its intended purpose. The string-securing device comprises a garmentattachment mechanism adapted to secure the device to a garment at aselected location on the garment. The string-securing device alsocomprises a string receiver adapted to receive and hold the garmentstring such that the garment string is prevented from being drawn intothe string tunnel.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, thestring-securing device includes a clip having upper and lower members.The clip provides an opened clip position adapted to facilitateplacement of the garment between the upper and lower members at thegarment location and a closed clip position. Preferably, the upper andlower member define teeth to facilitate grasping retention of thegarment portion between the upper and lower clip members.

According to one embodiment the string receiver is carried by the lowerclip member and defines an aperture adapted for sliding receipt of agarment string.

Preferably, the string-securing device includes a spring adapted to biasthe upper and lower clip members towards the closed clip position.According to one embodiment, the spring includes elongated arms atopposite ends of a central coiled portion, the arms received in notchesrespectively defined by the upper and lower clip members.

Arranged in this manner, the device is adapted for placement onto thestring at a desired location through the sliding receipt of the end ofthe string through the aperture of the string receiver. The clip of thedevice is adapted to secure the device and, therefore, to secure thestring, to the garment at the garment location.

According to one embodiment, the upper member of the clip isdecoratively configured to resemble a wing and includes a clamp endconfigured to resemble a shoulder area of the wing and a handle endconfigured to resemble a tip area of the wing.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a clip forsecuring a loose shoelace.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent in light of the following detailed descriptionof the preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanyingfigures. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modificationsin various respects, all without departing from the scope of theinvention. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to beregarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a formof the invention that is presently preferred. However, it should beunderstood that this invention is not limited to the precisearrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a string clip according to anexemplary embodiment of the invention being used to secure the drawstring of a garment to the garment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the string clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the string clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the string clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the string clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the string clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the string clip of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, where like numerals identify like elements,there is illustrated in the figures a string-securing device 10according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention adapted for usewith a garment of the type having a string received by a string tunnelof the garment (e.g., about the waist or neck area of a garment).Referring to FIG. 1, the string-securing device 10 is shown in use witha pants-type garment 12 to secure a waist string 14 of the garment 12 toa flap 16 or other portion of the garment 12. As described below ingreater detail, the string-securing device 10 is adapted to receive thestring 14 to position the device 10 on the string, and to engage thegarment 12 to secure the device 10, and the string 14, to the garment12.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 7, the string-securing device 10 is shownin greater detail. The string-securing device 10 includes a clip 18having upper and lower members 20, 22 rotatably connected to each otherin jaw-like fashion. Terms, such as “upper” and “lower” are used hereinfor simplicity. It should be readily apparent that the orientation ofthe members 20, 22 is not critical to the invention and, therefore, theuse of the terms “upper” and “lower” is by no means intended to belimiting. The rotatable connection provides for relative movement of theclip members 20, 22 between an opened position, to facilitate receipt ofa portion of a garment between the clip members 20, 22, and a closedposition, in which the portion of the garment is captured between theclip members 20, 22 to secure the device 10 to the garment.

Referring to the side view of the device 10 shown in FIG. 5, the device10 preferably includes projecting teeth 24 on at least one and morepreferably both the upper and lower members 20, 22 of the clip 18adjacent a front portion of the device 10. As shown, the teeth 24 of theupper member 20 preferably intermesh with the teeth 24 of the lowermember 22. The intermeshing of the teeth 24 in this manner facilitatescapture and securement of a portion of a garment between the upper andlower members 20, 22, thereby promoting retention of the device 10 in adesired location on a garment. As also shown in FIG. 5, each of theupper and lower members 20, 22 extends rearwardly beyond the rotationalaxis at 26 to collectively form a handle portion 28 of the clip 18. Thehandle portion 28 is adapted to be grasped by a user (e.g., between thethumb and forefinger) for applying a compressive force to the handle tomove the clip members 20, 22 from the closed clip position to the openedclip position.

The string-securing device 10 preferably includes a string receiver 30located on a portion of the lower member 22, preferably on the bottomsurface of clip 18 as shown. The string receiver 30 includes an aperture32 adapted for slidingly receiving a string of a garment, such as thewaist string 14 of the garment 12 of FIG. 1. As shown, the string 14 ofgarment 12 is received in the aperture 32 of clip such that the string14, which has a relative thin rectangular or circular cross section,assumes a somewhat rolled condition adjacent the aperture 32. Therolling of the string 14 in this manner facilitates retention betweenthe device 10 and the string 14 at a given location along the string 14to which the device 10 has been placed. As should be understood, therolling of the string 14 depends on the cross section of the string aswell as on the size of the aperture 32 of the string receiver 30. Theinvention, however, is not limited to any particular cross-sectionalshape or size for either the string receiver aperture 32 or a stringreceivable by the aperture 32. Preferably, however, the sliding receiptof the string by the aperture 32 will generate sufficient friction topromote retention of the device 10 at a given location along the string14 to which the device has been drawn.

Referring the FIG. 7, the string-securing device 10 includes a pin 34having opposite ends received in aligned openings in supports 36, 38 ofthe upper and lower clip members 20, 22. The supports 36, 38 arerespectively located on bottom and top surfaces of the upper and lowermembers 20, 22. The receipt of the pin 34 by the supports 36, 38 of theclip members 20, 22 maintains the connection between the upper and lowermembers 20, 22 while providing for the above-described relative rotationfor movement of the clip members 20, 22 between the closed and openedclip positions.

The string-securing device 10 also includes a spring 40 for biasing theupper and lower clip members 20, 22 towards the closed clip positionshown in the figures. Referring to the rear view of FIG. 7, the spring40 includes a central coiled portion 42 and elongated arms 44, 46 atopposite ends of the coiled portion 42. As shown, the arms 44, 46 arepreferably respectively received in notches 48 defined on the bottom andtop surfaces of the upper and lower members 20, 22. The receipt of thespring arms 44, 46 in the notches 48 desirably conceals the spring 40from view when the spring is viewed from the side view shown in FIG. 5,thus providing a more visually pleasing appearance.

Referring the FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper clip member 20 of string-securingclip 18 is preferably ornamentally configured. As shown in the top viewof FIG. 3, the upper clip member 20 is shaped such that, in theexemplary embodiment, the periphery resembles a bird's or angel's wing.Also, to enhance the wing-like appearance, the top surface of the upperclip member 20 is formed with longitudinal or curved grooves 50 definingareas of the top surface representing feathers of a wing tip area and aseries of transverse or curved grooves 52 defining surface areasrepresenting overlapping feathers of a shoulder area of a bird's wing.Preferably, the upper and lower clip members 20, 22, including thedesign features presented on the top surface of the upper clip member 20are formed by molding the clip members 20, 22 from a moldable plasticmaterial. The string receiver 30 is preferably formed integrally withthe lower clip member 22. It should be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to the wing-like design shown in the figuresand that the upper clip member 20 could be configured to representvarious appearances, including images, alphanumeric characters, designs,etc.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the string-securing device 10 is adapted foruse with the garment 12 in the following manner to prevent an end of thewaist string 14 of the garment 12 from being drawn into the stringtunnel 54 through one of the openings 56 defined by the string tunnel.As discussed above, such a situation frequently occurs when garments ofthis type are laundered. To use the device 10, a user would first feedthe end portion of the waist string 14 into the aperture 32 of thestring receiver 30 from a first side of the device until the stringprotrudes from the aperture 32 on the opposite side of the device, untila sufficient length of the string extends out such that it can begrasped by the user (e.g., between the thumb and forefinger). Next, thedevice 10 is placed in a desired location on the string 14 by graspingthe string 14 and the device 10 with opposite hands and pulling thedevice along the string to the desired location. As discussed above,frictional forces will preferably be sufficient to retain the device 10in its placed position along the string 14. The user then grasps thehandle portion 28 of the device 10 defined by the upper and lower clipmembers 20, 22 to move the clip members 20, 22 to the opened clipposition. The user then places the open jaws of the clip members onopposite sides of a portion of the garment 12 (e.g., the flap of thepants-type garment 12 shown). Upon release of the handle portion 28, thespring 40 will act to return the clip members 20, 22 to the closed clipposition thereby clamping the garment portion between the teeth 24 ofthe clip members 20, 22, thereby securing the device 10 and the string14 to the garment 12. Alternately, the jaws of the clip could be clampedonto the other end of the string, thereby using one clip to prevent bothends of the string from being drawn into the string tunnel.

It should be understood that the device 10 is not limited to thepants-type garment 12 shown having a waist string 14 and has applicationto other garments having strings in string tunnels such as hoodedsweatshirts, for example. It should also be noted that it not requiredthat the garment include some feature such as the flap 16 of thepants-type garment 12 shown to facilitate secured placement of thedevice 10 onto the garment 12. The device 10 could be placed onto anygarment 12, for example by folding a portion of the garment 12 and thenplacing the folded garment portion between the teeth 24 of the device 10in its opened clip position.

The present invention can also be used to secure a shoelace forcapturing loose shoelace ends. In this embodiment, the aperture 32 ofthe string received 30 is sized to receive a conventional shoelace(either flat or round). Once a end of the shoelace is inserted throughthe aperture 32, the device can be clipped to the other end of theshoelace or secured to the shoe.

The foregoing describes the invention in terms of embodiments foreseenby the inventor for which an enabling description was available,notwithstanding that insubstantial modifications of the invention, notpresently foreseen, may nonetheless represent equivalents thereto.

1. A string-securing device for preventing loss of a garment stringwithin a string tunnel of a garment, the string-securing devicecomprising: a garment attachment mechanism adapted to secure the deviceto the garment at a selected location on the garment; and a stringreceiver adapted to receive the garment string and hold the garmentstring such that the garment string is prevented from being drawn intothe string tunnel.
 2. The string-securing device according to claim 1,wherein the garment attachment mechanism includes a clip having firstand second members movable with respect to each other between an openedposition facilitating receipt of the garment between the first andsecond members at the garment location and a closed position.
 3. Thestring-securing device according to claim 1, wherein the string receiverdefines an aperture adapted for sliding receipt of the garment string.4. The string-securing device according to claim 1, wherein the garmentattachment mechanism includes a clip having upper and lower membersmovable with respect to each other between an opened clip position and aclosed clip position and wherein the string receiver is located on thelower clip member.
 5. The string-securing device according to claim 2,wherein the clip includes a pin received by the first and second clipmembers for rotatably connecting the first and second clip members toeach other.
 6. The string-receiving device according to claim 5 furthercomprising a spring for biasing the first and second clip memberstowards the closed clip position, the spring including an intermediatecoil portion received by the pin and first and second spring arms atopposite ends of the coil portion respectively contacting the first andsecond clip members.
 7. The string-securing device according to claim 6,wherein the first and second clip members each define a recess forrespectively receiving the first and second arms of the spring.
 8. Thestring-securing device according to claim 6, wherein each of the firstand second clip members includes a clamp end and a handle end located onopposite sides of the pin and wherein the arms of the spring contact thehandle ends of the clip members to bias the clip members towards theclosed clip position.
 9. The string-securing device according to claim8, wherein the clamp end of each of the first and second clip membersdefines a plurality of teeth, the teeth of the first clip member adaptedfor meshing receipt by the teeth of the second clip member when the clipis in the closed clip position.
 10. The string-securing device accordingto claim 5, wherein the string receiver is located on the second clipmember opposite the pin of the clip.
 11. The string-securing deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein each of the upper and lower clip membersincludes a clamp end and an opposite handle end and wherein an uppersurface of the upper clip member is decoratively configured to resemblea wing, the clamp end of the upper clip member configured to resemble ashoulder area of the wing and the handle end of the upper clip memberconfigured to resemble a tip area of the wing.
 12. A string-securingdevice for preventing loss of a garment string within a string tunnel ofa garment, the string-securing device comprising: a clip for securingthe string-securing device to the garment at a selected garmentlocation, the clip having upper and lower clip members rotatablyconnected to each other for relative rotation between an opened clipposition facilitating receipt of the garment between the upper and lowerclip members at the garment location and a closed clip position; and astring receiver defining adapted to receive the garment string and holdthe garment string such that the garment string is prevented from beingdrawn into the string tunnel.
 13. The string-securing device accordingto claim 12, wherein clip includes a pin received by the upper and lowerclip members for rotatably connecting the upper and lower clip membersto each other, and wherein the string receiver is located on the lowerclip member opposite the pin.
 14. The string-securing device accordingto claim 12, wherein the string receiver defines an aperture adapted forsliding receipt of the garment string.
 15. A string-securing device forpreventing loss of a string in an article of clothing, such as a shoe,the string-securing device comprising: a clothing attachment mechanismadapted to secure the device to the clothing at a selected location onthe clothing; and a string receiver adapted to receive the clothingstring and hold the string such that the clothing string is preventedfrom being drawn away.
 16. The string-securing device according to claim15, wherein the article of clothing is a shoe, wherein the clothingstring is a shoelace, the string receiver having an aperture for receiptof the shoelace.